CT DEPICTION OF EXPERIMENTAL LIVER-TUMORS - CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT WITHHEPATOCYTE-SELECTIVE IODINATED TRIGLYCERIDE VERSUS CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES

PURPOSE: To compare findings at computed tomography (CT) enhanced with a hepatocyte-selective contrast agent (iodinated triglyceride) and/or iohexol and at CT during arterial portography (CTAP). MATERIALS AND M ETHODS: Rabbit livers were directly inoculated with VX2 carcinoma. Res ults were compared for five helical CT examinations: unenhanced CT, io hexol-enhanced CT (600 mg iodine per kilogram of body weight [mg I/kg] ), CTAP (with iohexol [600 mg I/kg]), triglyceride-enhanced CT (126 mg I/kg), and dual-contrast-enhanced CT (triglyceride plus iohexol [425 mg I/kg]). Attenuation of normal liver and tumor were compared with an alysis of variance techniques and blinded reader evaluations. RESULTS: Normal liver attenuation was greatest at CTAP (127.3 HU +/- 5.3 [mean +/- standard error of the mean]), followed by dual-contrast-enhanced CT (112.4 HU +/- 1.2), iohexol-enhanced CT (97.9 HU +/- 2.2), triglyce ride-enhanced CT (82.3 HU +/- 1.1), and unenhanced CT (54.9 HU +/- 1.8 ). Liver-to-lesion attenuation difference at triglyceride-enhanced CT was significantly greater than at iohexol-enhanced CT (P < .05), and a ttenuation differences at dual-contrast-enhanced CT were comparable to those at CTAP. Tumors did not enhance at triglyceride-enhanced CT, wh ich increased conspicuity. Sensitivity values for lesion detection at dual-contrast-enhanced CT were greater than those at iohexol-enhanced CT or at CTAP (P < .05). CONCLUSION: At CT enhanced with triglyceride (especially when combined with iohexol), sensitivity values and liver- to-lesion attenuation differences were greater with lower iodine doses than with iohexol or at CTAP.